Alexander Hamilton Willard (1778-1865)

Explorer. A member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Born in New Hampshire, he was living in Kentucky when he enlisted in the regular army in 1800. Willard was stationed and recruited at Kaskaskia and joined the Corps of Discovery on January 1 1804. He was a blacksmith, gunsmith, and hunter for the expedition. That summer he was found sleeping at his post while on guard duty and was given the harshest penalty of any on the expedition: 100 lashes to the bare back for four straight days. Later redeeming himself, Willard was attacked by a grizzly during a portage of the Missouri, and Clark had to gather 3 men to chase the bear off. Willard married Eleanor McDonald in 1807. In 1808 Meriwether Lewis hired him as blacksmith to the Sauk and Fox Indians, and the following year he was hired at the same job to the Delaware and Shawnee. In 1852 the Willard family emigrated west to California, where he died in Sacramento.

Bio by: JustinM